Reactions to Morgentaler Clinic closing in New Brunswick

The Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton, New Brunswick has announced that it is closing this summer due to lack of funding.

This would mean that women can access abortion only at two hospitals in that province. They are also restricted by a provincial regulation that requires two doctors' approval.

In Huffington Post, MP Niki Ashton notes that Regulation 84-20 says New Brunswick women can access an abortion at a hospital in the province only if two doctors certify in writing that it is medically necessary. “This directly opposes the R. v. Morgentaler decision in 1988. Moreover, by imposing these restrictions it compromises women's health,” Ashton writes. Read more: What You Can Do to Fight For the Morgentaler Clinic.

PEI Status of Women responded quickly to the news, saying that the clinic's impending closure is "a serious challenge for Prince Edward Island women who require a safe, timely abortion." PEI is the only province where abortion is not available. PEI women must travel to other provinces to obtain an abortion, and many go to the Morgentaler Clinic in New Brunswick. See their press release at: Response to the Closure of the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton, NB.